Stored product insects and other pests represent a major hygiene and safety issue to many industries, from food production to building infestation, and issues for timber pallets and packaging. Beds bugs are rapidly becoming a public health issue in hotels, hostels and houses in many parts of the world. While fumigation has been one of the prevalent routes for pest control, there remain issues with the toxicity of the chemicals used and potential exposure to humans therefore heat treatment has proven to be a successful alternative when used correctly. It is well known that excessive heat is dangerous to life. There is a difference between the amount of heat required to kill microbes such as bacteria and viruses and that required to kill larger life forms such as insects or mammals. This book focuses on the use of heat to kill insects and mites in food production, storage and other facilities. Heat Treatment for Insect Control examines how controlled heat treatment kills all stages of pest insect life across species and without causing damage to surrounding structures or electronics. The advantages of heat treatment include no health & safety hazards, a completely controllable and environmentally friendly process, reduced treatment time of fumigation (hours verses days), as well as no factory shutdown or exclusion of staff from adjacent areas during treatment. Part I reviews the principles of heat treatment, with chapters covering the fundamentals, planning, best practice and costs of integrated pest management. Part II looks at heat treatment applications in food production, storage, food materials and fresh produce. Part III examines the other applications in clothing, small rooms, buildings, and transportation. - Provides a comprehensive and systematic reference on the heat treatment for insect control - Reviews the development of heat treatment processes and technology as part of integrated pest management approaches

Due to the nature of agricultural commodities as carriers of exotic pests, importing countries have employed varying methods of pest control for postharvest products. Thermal treatments are emerging as effective, environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional methods, eliminating chemical residues and minimizing damage to produce. This book provides comprehensive information of these increasingly important treatments, covering temperature measurement, heat transfer, physiological responses of plants, insects and pathogens to heat, and an introduction to current and potential quarantine treatments based on hot air, hot water, and radio frequency energy.

A serious problem facing museum professionals is the protection of collections from damage due to insects. This book describes successful insect eradication procedures developed at the Getty Conservation Institute and elsewhere, whereby objects are held in an atmosphere of either nitrogen or argon containing less than 1000 ppm of oxygen—a process known as anoxia—or in an atmosphere of more than 60 percent carbon dioxide. Techniques, materials, and operating parameters are described in detail. The book also discusses adoption of this preservation technology, presenting the development of these methods and instructions for building and upgrading treatment systems, as well as recent case histories. The Research in Conservation reference series presents the findings of research conducted by the Getty Conservation Institute and its individual and institutional research partners, as well as state-of-the-art reviews of conservation literature. Each volume covers a topic of current interest to conservators and conservation scientists.

Insect Management for Food Storage and Processing, Second Edition is completely revised and updated with new chapters on topics including inspection techniques; retail pest management; environmental manipulation (e.g., hot, cold, modified atmospheres, ionization) to control insects; and the latest scientific research on integrated pest management (IPM) control techniques. Common and unusual exterior/interior pest insects are covered and examples of both chemical and non-chemical pest insect control strategies are thoroughly discussed. The book provides the practical and science-based strategies to solve pest insect problems in an effective and economical manner. Chapter authors are recognized around the world as experts in their respective fields. Scientific language is put in simple terms so those working in a food plant or warehouse environment can easily take information from the chapters and apply it for effective pest insect control strategies. Control methods explained have survived the test of time. This edition addresses the pesticide and food safety regulatory environment food processing personnel must work in every day. Chapter information presented is original research that contains basic reference material, literature reviews, and actual pest insect case histories that authors have experienced with control methods that work. The book is written so its readers can pick it up and use it as a ready reference across any food manufacturing or production environment. It’s a must read for commercial and structural pest control operators, technicians, or directors; food plant inspectors, auditors, and plant sanitarians; as well as QA managers, food safety consultants, and university extension personnel.

The brown recluse is a fascinating spider very well adapted to dwelling in houses and other buildings. Because of this very quality and the ghastly reputation associated with the medical consequences of its bite, it has become infamous throughout North America. Although recluse spiders can cause serious skin injuries and, in very rare cases, death, the danger posed by this spider is often exaggerated as a result of arachnophobia and the misdiagnosis of non-spider-related conditions as brown recluse bites. These misdiagnoses often occur in areas of North America where the spider does not exist, making legitimate bites improbable. One of the greatest factors that keeps the myths alive is misidentification of common (and harmless) spiders as brown recluses. With this book, Richard S. Vetter hopes to educate readers regarding the biology of the spider and medical aspects of its bites, to reduce the incidence of misdiagnoses, and to quell misplaced anxiety. In The Brown Recluse Spider, Vetter covers topics such as taxonomy, identification, misidentification, life history characteristics and biology, medical aspects of envenomations, medical conditions misdiagnosed as brown recluse bites, other spider species of medical consideration (several of which have been wrongly implicated as threats to human health), and the psychology behind the entrenched reasons why people believe so deeply in the presence of the spider in the face of strong, contradictory information. Vetter also makes recommendations for control of the spider for households in areas where the spiders are found and describes other species of recluse spiders in North America. Although The Brown Recluse Spider was written for a general audience, it is also a valuable source of information for arachnologists and medical personnel.